Combination end-gate and step for trailers



A. P. FIX.

COMBINATION EN'D GATE AND STEP FOR TRAILERS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 3, I920.

Patented May 13,1920.

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A. P. FI X. i COMBINATION END GATE AND ST.-" FOR TRAILERS. APPLICATIONFILED MAR. 3. 1.920.

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ooivieiimrron END-GATE AND srnr FOR TRAILERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Ma 18, 1920.

Application filed March 3, 1920. Serial No. 362,964.

Toallwhom it may concern: p

Be it known that I, ALBERT P. FIX, a citizen of the United States,residing at Detroit, in the county "of WVayne and State of -Mi-chi-gan,have invented new and useful Improvements in Combination End-Gates andSteps for Trailers, of which the followin is a specification.

' his invention relates to a combination end drop gate and step forautomobile trailers andother vehicles.

One object of the invention is to provide a simple and light, but strongand substam tial, construction of end gate which when let down will forma step, and. which will be elliciently stayed or braced in step-formingposition.

Another object of the invention is to rovide a device of the characterdescribed which may be conveniently applied to any ordinary typeoftrailer or other wagon li-ke vehicle, and which is adapted, whendesired, to be readily secured in ordinary open position and held frommovement to a stepform'ing position.

The invention consists of the features of construction, combination andarrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, in which a Figure 1 is a rearelevation of a vehicle body embodying my invention, and showing the samein closed position.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the device detached from the vehicle,and as the parts appear when the gate is let down to form a step, thegate appearing in dotted lines.

Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section through the rear end of thevehicle and showing the end gate in closed position.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation showing the gate open but not let down toform step.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the gate in step formingposition.

Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view on line 6&6 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawings, 1 'designates the body of a trailer or othersimilar vehicle, including the bottom 2, sides 3 and the rear end sillor cross bar 4.

A combined e'nd gate and step 5 islpro- Vided for closing the rear endof the vehicle dy-m te a Step at s he l 9 the body. This combinationgate and step comprises aboard of a height substantially equalto theheight the body above the bottom 2 and '01 a length to abut atthe endedges, of its inner fa'ce, against the rear edges ofthe sides -5, whensaid gate is in closedposition, Secured to the inner faces oft'heboardhare supporting straps 6, which extend vertically of the board, and areprovided ,at. their upper ends with hinge knuckles or eyes 7. Arrangedto normally extend upon the outer face of the board 5 and yerticallythereof are suspension straps 8, which are provic led at their upperendswith substantially U-shaped offsets 9 terminating in hinge knuckles oreyes 1,0, which are pivotally connected with the knuckles or eyes 7 ofthe straps 6 by pivot pins or bolts 11. I

p y en the board or -gate is innormal vertical or closed position, asshown in Figs.

1 and 3., the offsets? embrace and form seat recesses receiving theupper edges of the board 5, and the straps Band Sbear against the, innerand outer faces of the board and hold the same snugly in closedposition. The straps 8 are provided attheir relatively lower ends withhinge knuckles or eyes 12 which are pivotally connected by pivot pins orbolts 13 with similar knuckles or eyes 14 upon attaching brackets 15bolted or otherwise f-irmly secured to the outer face of the crossbQaror sill 4. e I

lVith the above construction, it will be understood that the board 5 ispivotally connected at its normally upper edge with the upper ends ofthe suspension straps 8, which are free from connection with theboa-rdjbut pivotally connected at their relatively lower ends to thebracket members 15, whereby the board is adapted to be swung upwardly toa vertical body closing position, in which it is disposed between andparallel with the straps 6 and 8. Also by the construction described itwill be seen that the board is pivotally connected by the straps 8 withthe bracket members 15, whereby said boa-rd may be swung downwardly tothe depending vertically open position shown in Fig. Al, in whichpositiomit is still disposed between and parallel with the amps 6 and Itwill further be evidentl that when the board is swung downwardly to the'positio'nshown in Fig. 4, it may be let down or. turned I outwardly atright angles to thestraps 8 to form afoot board or step, as shown inFig. 5, for convenience in permitting a person to'readilyf stepupwardlyinto the bodyl and descendthere from to the ground.

, forward swinging movemento'f the gate as a. whole, when thelatter isdisposed in the against forward displacement and relieve Secured to theS1114 are angular brackets i6which areso disposed as tofllie in the pathof the. straps 8 when the latter are swung downwardly into the verticalposition shown in Figs. at and 5, so that; saidbrackets 16 will serve asstopsto stay and prevent position shown in Fig. 4, or of the straps 8when the parts are disposed in the position shown in Fig. 5, so as tosustain the parts the pivot members 13from undue strain,

' Spring latch members 17 are disposed upon the underside of the sill 4:and havebeveled and shouldered free latch ends 18 proj ecting outwardlybeyond the body tohook over the outerfaces of, and at one side ofthe'straps 8, when the latter are disposed in the positions as shown inFigs. 4: and 5, in order to I firmly retain the same from outward orswinging movement in the travel of the vehicle. lVhen the gate is swungdownwardly to the position shown in Fig. 4., the

recesses '22 will engage over the beveled ends by the latches 17,thelatter having engaged of said latchbars 17 to allow the gatetoverticallycontact the straps's and the latter I to move into engagementwith the stop brackets 16, where the same are firmly held the straps Sfor the purpose. These latch ends 18 may be moved outward or retractedunder pressure to permit movement of the straps 8 when it is desired toswing the gate upwardly to the closing position shown in Figsl and 3.

lor the purpose of staying and supporta 7 ing the board underrpressure,when said board is lowered to either of the'positions shown in Figsd and5, bracing, ropes,w cables or cha ns 19 are provided which are 1 securedat their outer ends to eye bolts 20 disposed adjacentto theouter frontcorners of the boardfi, and which are suitably attached at their inneror upper ends to hooked suspension brackets 21 secured to the suchposition, any other suitable vmeans for, this purpose may be employed.

lirom the foregoing description taken in 1 connection with the drawings,the construe tion and mode oi operation of my 'improved -combmat1on end,gate and foot board will be readilyunderstood, and it will beseen that;j

fore be readily used upon automobile trailers or other light vehicles"but at the sametime. is staunch and rigid in its ad' justed; positions,and thus adaptedf'for use for along period "without causing undue .wear"and tear upon the parts thereof. It will be evident that thegreatadvantageof the invention provides simpleand. inexa' pensiveconstruction of device of th1soharao-;

ter which is light in weight and may there; I

lightness of weight is obtainedby'emplov I 1 ing straps and brackets ofthe construction described, and that the employment of these parts alsoinsures economy of manufacture and the production of a devicewhich willbe suiiiciently light in weight for use upon trailers and other verylight vehicles, and

yet possesses the requisite. strength a and durabilitylVhile I havedescribed the, gate 5 as a board it will, of course, beunderstood thatthismay be made of a single piece I of wood or metal or of any desiredsectional construction.

f 'Having thus fully described myinven tion, I claim 1. In a combinedend gate'a'nd step, the combination of a vehicle body, brackets se curedto the rear end of the body, a combined gate and foot board, supportingstraps attached to the inner face of the board, s'uspending bracketsarranged upon the outer face of the board and hinged at theirupper andlower ends respectively to the brackets and upper ends of the.supportingstraps,

whereby the board is adapted to'be swung downward to open positionparallel with the suspending straps and to step forming position atright angles to said straps, and means for stayingthe board in step formng position.

2.,In a; combined' endgate and step, the

combination a vehicle body, brackets secured to the lower rear portionof the vehicle hody,-a board, straps secured to theinner face of:theboard, straps arranged upon the outer'face of the board and hingedattheir I 1 lower ends tosaid brackets, said straps :be-

ing provided attheir upper ends, with U- f I shaped offsets adapted toreceive and engage the upper edge of the board and hinged to the upperends of the first-named straps, and means for staying the board in itslet down positions.

3. In a combined end gate and step, the combination of a vehicle body,brackets secured to the lower rear portion of the vehicle body, aboard,straps secured to the hinged to the upper ends of the first-named.

straps, stops upon the body lying in the path of the outer straps forsupporting the same when disposed in a pendent position, and 10 meansfor bracing the board from the body when disposed in step formingposition.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ALBERT P. FIX.

